Samsung Galaxy S5 owners are soon going to get a taste of lollipop. Android 5.0 Lollipop, that is.

Google's new mobile operating system is slated to arrive on Samsung's latest flagship handset this December, according to a report from SamMobile. Exact release dates aren't yet known, but the site's sources claim that the Android 5.0 update will go live for the Galaxy S5 in time for the holidays.

The site notes, however, that it could take about a month or so from the time Samsung starts rolling out the update before it arrives in all regions since carriers often control when Android updates hit certain phones.

Unveiled last week, Android Lollipop offers features like multiple user accounts, a guest user mode, and default encryption. Additional controls include the ability to mute contacts and notifications at particular times (say for an important meeting or a romantic dinner) so only messages or calls from designated people appear.

Perhaps the most consumer-friendly feature, though, is Lollipop's new battery-saver feature, which promises to extend the life of your device by up to 90 minutes.

Meanwhile, Lollipop brings improvements for security. The new OS reportedly fixes an issue that left its predecessor, Android KitKat, vulnerable to newly discovered bugs, according to ZDNet. Going forward, WebView, the component that lets developers display Web content in their apps, will be updated through Google Play instead of individual carriers. This means that any security patches for bugs found in WebView should reach users' handsets faster.

In other Lollipop upgrade news, the new OS is slated to arrive early next year for the entire Sony Xperia Z series line, starting with the Z Ultra Google Play edition, Sony announced last week.

About the Author

Angela has been a PCMag reporter since January 2012. Prior to joining the team, she worked as a reporter for SC Magazine, covering everything related to hackers and computer security. Angela has also written for The Northern Valley Suburbanite in New Jersey, The Dominion Post in West Virginia, and the Uniontown-Herald Standard in Pennsylvania. She ... See Full Bio

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